


Silver Bell

by originxlshipping (MyNeverEndingDistrust)



Category: Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver & Crystal | Pokemon Gold Silver Crystal Versions
Genre: Gen, i just really like game!silver, pointless little oneshot, seriously i wrote this on the drive home from grandma's don't expect anything big, this isn't really about anything ha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 10:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5925298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNeverEndingDistrust/pseuds/originxlshipping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan really did set Silver on the right path.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silver Bell

**Author's Note:**

> ?? I just needed to take a break from the longer fics im working on and I was playing hg/ss so like why not
> 
> I was thinking a bit about how Ethan was Silver's only (apart from Lance I guess) influence in becoming a different kind of trainer and also like, what happened to Silver after game canon so like I suppose that's where this came from
> 
> Uhhh player characters' personalities are kinda up for interpretation so, my Ethan is really friendly and compassionate, and kinda naive and anxious as well [alSO i like to put some element of "silent" into my interpretations of silent protagonists so Ethan's first language is Japanese, not English, and he talks to his pokemon in Japanese (italics)]. If you care about why i hc him like this just comment i guess (cuz a lot of people hc him kind of like 'spe Gold or Origins Red so this may be off putting if you came for one of those interpretations of him) but if not whatever, enjoy!

Ethan likes it at the top of Bell Tower. Soft breezes blow by and ruffle his hair, red leaves whisk past like snow. Typhlosion makes a chuffing sound and wraps tighter around his body; the pokémon knows that it's going to rain. Togekiss's wings can help him with that when the time comes. 

Thunder rumbles lowly in the distance. Ethan hugs around Typhlosion’s neck and buries his face into its fur. He's not scared of thunder, but it's chilly and dark and damp up here and this is comforting and warm.

Something taps gently next to him.

“What are you doing up here alone?”

Ethan glances up.

“Hello, Silver.” 

The boy raises his eyebrows curiously but his eyes don't change from bored indifference. He takes delicate steps to right himself after his dismount.

“You didn't answer my question.”

“I'm not alone.”

Silver scoffs and rolls his eyes. Typlosion blows a puff of fire through its nose to help punctuate Ethan's statement.

“Whatever. I mean up here for no reason. It's about to rain.”

“It's quiet,” Ethan replies softly. “It's nicer up here with pokémon than down there with people making noise, hurting each other-”

“Okay, okay, don't get gross and whiny, I didn't come here to hear you cry.”

Ethan pouts, but the expression quickly fades as he sees Silver absently petting the Crobat that he flew in on.

“Why did you come, then?”

Silver reaches into his jacket and tosses something to Ethan: a badge case. “Don't let your Typlosion drool all over it,” he warns. Ethan pretends to himself that Silver’s joking, that Silver can be fun like Lyra and Kris and Blue.

No, he doesn't need more funny in his life; he likes Silver just the way he is. But he wants Silver to be happy.

“Whoa! S-Silver!” He grins up at the boy. “All eight of them- I’m so proud of you!”

Silver doesn't seem all too proud of himself or impressed at all, but he nods when Ethan praises him. 

“Are you going to take on the Elite Four?”

Silver narrows his eyes. “Of course I am. I can't get any stronger if I quit here. This isn't the end, Ethan.”

Ethan nods solemnly; he completely understands Silver's desire to be stronger than everyone else, not for publicity, not even for a sense of personal achievement, but to escape the path laid out for him. To become his own person.

Ethan really is proud of him for coming this far.

“Are you going to challenge me? A-as the Champion?”

Silver reaches out and gestures for his badges back. Typhlosion lifts its head and makes a low purring sound as though it wants to know, too. Crobat hisses softly in response.

“Of course,” Silver repeats, tucking his badges safely away. “To show you just how strong I've become.”

Ethan waits patiently for Silver to continue, because he's looking at his boots and that means he's going to say more. Typhlosion nudges Ethan's leg comfortingly.

“To show you… how much we've grown.”

“I can already see how strong you are,” Ethan says gently, “you don't have to prove anything to me.” He smiles reassuringly.

Sliver looks through his hair at Ethan and frowns. Then he glances away, over Ecruteak City. “I can't understand a thing you're saying with that stupid accent of yours,” he mutters, clearly trying to change the subject.

Ethan licks his lips nervously and turns to Typhlosion. The pokémon gives him a judgy look.

 _“What, Silver? He doesn't mean it,”_ Ethan chuckles in Japanese. _“He's just being modest.”_

“Stop talking about me.” Silver says. His eyes flick over to Ethan and Typhlosion for a second. “ _Gin._ That's my name, isn't it?”

Ethan's face flushes. “Yeah. Do you know any more?”

_“I don’t speak Japanese.”_

Ethan smiles. “Very funny.”

Silver grunts nonchalantly. 

Typhlosion snarls suddenly, and Ethan realises why when a droplet of rain lands on his nose. _“Do you want to go back into your ball?”_

Typhlosion gives Silver a suspicious look and shakes its head.

“Your pokémon still don't like me.” Silver mentions absently, noticing the look. Crobat flaps its wings reassuringly. Ethan scratches behind Typhlosion’s ears, even though the thing keeps glaring.

“They don’t know you like I do.” He responds encouragingly. “They’re just protective.”

Silver wipes a drop of water from his cheek and frowns up at the sky like his disapproval will make the rain stop. 

“They’ll learn to love you.”

Their eyes meet briefly. Silver raises his eyebrows expectantly and Ethan squirms under his gaze until he looks away.

Autumn is coming back to Johto. Everything is taking on an orange hue, complementing the region’s old, spooky buildings. The wind stirs the trees surrounding the Bell Tower, getting gusty enough at times to nearly blow away Ethan’s hat. 

Silver looks dumb and confused with his hair being blown in every direction in front of his face, yet his expression still doesn’t change. It makes Ethan smile a bit.

“I’m going to go,” Silver mutters, patting Crobat’s head. “I don’t get anywhere by staying here with you.”

Ethan jumps up. “Already? Can’t you take a break?”

Silver snorts at him. “Like you?”

“I’ve earned my right! I’m the Tohjo Champion!” Ethan replies indignantly. 

“And I’m not! I don’t have time for breaks. I’ll visit you later.”

He doesn’t want Silver to go. 

He’s so proud of how different Silver’s become, how much he treasures his pokémon now, how strong they are. He wants to see them get better. 

Besides, he’s not doing too much right now. He can’t nap with Typhlosion on tower tops forever.

“Wait!” He yelps, standing up sharply. The movement makes his head spin. “I’ll go with you!”

Silver glares at him. “No.”

He stops abruptly in his tracks. “Why not?”

“This is my journey to undergo. Alone.”

“But I can help you!”

“You don’t have to help me anymore.” Silver closes his eyes solemnly and leans on the wet roof rails. “You’ve done more than I could ever ask already.”

Ethan approaches him slowly and leans next to him. Typhlosion makes an annoyed growling noise and curls tighter around itself. “What? I haven’t done anything.”

Crobat squeals in protest. Silver drops his head onto his arms. “Don’t make me talk about this with you.”

Ethan turns his head. 

Rain starts to drain from their hair into their eyes. Typhlosion extinguishes its flames and crawls in between Silver and Ethan, grumbling irritably. Lightning flashes some ways away from them, which is what finally makes Silver quit.

“I’m leaving. I’ll see you at the Indigo Plateau, Ethan.”

Ethan leans past Typhlosion, desperate. “How long will you be?”

Silver makes a noncommittal noise and leans off the railing. “As long as it takes,” he murmurs. “I want to have a connection with my pokémon like you do. I want to understand-” He scoffs again.

“Will I see you before then?”

Crobat flaps its wings. “It’s possible,” Silver mutters, “don’t count on it.”

Ethan’s heart starts to feel like it’s beating irregularly. “Well, I hope that you find what you want in your training.” 

Silver smirks at him. “I will. I know I will.”

Typhlosion purrs reluctantly at Silver and nudges him amiably with its paw. 

“Your pokémon are as fickle as you are.” 

“He senses the compassion in you.”

“You’re fucking weird.” Silver pokes Ethan in the forehead, still smirking. “Now stop trying to distract me. I’m already soaking wet because of you.”

He hops onto Crobat and points over Ecruteak. Ethan watches as his friend takes off into the grey sky.

“Be careful!” He shouts after him. Silver doesn’t appear to hear.

Typhlosion bumps his wet body against Ethan’s cold frame and makes a knowing sound. Ethan nudges his pokemon back and grins.

_“Don’t say it. Come on, let’s get you dry.”_

He lets his Togekiss out and puts Typhlosion safely back in its ball. 

Like always, even though they took the same path, Silver is nowhere to be seen.

**Author's Note:**

> hm lazy ending but fics without plot shouldnt be dragged out too long


End file.
